Plant for and method of manufacturing metal castings



Oct. 25, 1938. H. GfFLoYD ET AL r2,134,l 17

PLANT FOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING METAL CASTINGS File 2 Sheets-Sheet l dvDec.

Oct. 25, 1938. H. G. lFLOYD ET Al.l 2,134,117

PLANT FOR AND METHOD MANUFACTURING METAL CASTINGS Filed Dec. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet i?.`

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Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED N orifun` l ING METAL GAs'rnvGs- V Henry G. Floyd `:mafvvuuan'; Lee mucche, ma f Y mingham, Ala., assignors toMcWaneCast Iron PipcCo., Birmingham, Ala. Y' 4 Application December amas', serial No. 113,911.

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ina straight lline and inlwhich empty `flasks travel This invention relates to plants for and methods of manufacturing metal castings.. Although the invention relates vmore especiallyto plants for and methods of manufacturing ironpipes cast horizontally,: it isnot necessarily limited in its application to the production ofsuch castings.

Many varieties .of metal castings-for example, cast iron pipesare produced in large numbers of standard sizes. This requires the use of rather expensive sand-handling, mold-forming and handl ing, and hot-metal-handiing equipment. Because oi thehigh cost of such equipment it is necessary to arrange and operate it in such a way asto obtain by its use the, maximum production possible within limitstdetermined by practical considerations. `Thusthe equipment should be arranged Withdue regard to the amount of floor space it occupies. Equipment'arranged for optimum operating capacity. and efficiency, might necessitate an uneconomical use of floor space. 'I hese two considerations, namely, arrangement of equipment for operating capacity and eiiciency and economical utilization of door-space, therefore must be balanced with each other.

There also must be considered ythe flexibility of the system for operation under.l conditions which may be varied voluntarily or which may change because of an accidental temporary slowing up or a shuttingdown of one part of the equipment. yThe plant layout-i. e., the relative arrangementof the various equipment unitstherefore should be such that the several operations Will best be coordinated and synchronized so as to provide for efilciency andlarge production, but at/the same time the equipment units for performing successive operations should not be coupled so closely that a slight temporary de-` lay in the operation of one unit Will'retard operation of the entire system.

A further and quite general consideration is that there must be a proper balance between the cost of equipment units and the cost of operation thereof, including power cost and maintenance cost.

'Arry object of the present invention is to provide a plant for and methodof manufacturing metal castings in which the several factors referred to above aresobalanced that', giving due consideration to the proper weight of each, castings may be produced at a minimum final cost and in large numbers.

A further'object is to provide a plant for the continuous production of metal castings in which the flow, of molds, iiasks, sand, and other material is mainly in two parallel directions whereby the plant will occupy an area relatively narrow as compared to its length. .f

A further object is to provide a plant and a method of the general character referredto inr which molds travel in one direction substantially in a parallel opposite `directiorLv-the travel of cope flasks ineach direction being less than the travel of the drag flasks. j

A further obje( t i s ,y to .provide. a plant and method. o f the general character referred to and in which sand. is conditioned `and handled or transported in a novel ,manner with,A respect to the molding, pouring, and shake-out equipment.` A still further objecty is to provide an improved arrangement of equipment for and method of conditioning and l.handling or transporting moldingsand, y

Other objects will become apparent Afrom a reading of the following detaileddescription, the accompanying drawings, ,and the appended claims,` the invention defined in each of whichy constitutes the attainment of at least one object of the invention.

. In the drawings' Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view o f a part of a plant embodying the invention; and

Figure la is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing` the part of the plant .not shown in Figure 1. v Figures 1 and 1a are intendedtor be read together as a single iigure joined-along vthe lines i"-llI of eachof said Figures 1 and l?.

Those skilled in the art of founding are familiar Y with the essential basic operations performed in the production of metal casting'spbut in order that the basic operations may moreeasily bekept in mind during reading of the detailed description and claims they are set forth briefly below;

1. Fill drag flask with sand and ram;

. Make core and place in drag; Y Fill cope .flask with sand and ram; Complete mold by placing cope on drag; 5 Pour molten metal ,in mold; Remove cope and shake out sand; y Remove castings and core bars from Shake out sand fromdrag; Break gates from pipe and remove core bars; 10. Return flasks and core bars to respective make-up stations; n

11. Remove gates and scrap from sand, reconn comma; anja oo zo dition, and return to sand storage bins.

Ac the right-hand end ofy Figure i2', there is shown a pair of drag-forming machines which are positioned under overhead drag service bins.

The drag-forming machines may be of any desired type, are adapted to receive empty flasks from flask-transporting means to be described drag;

later, and are adapted to receive sanddirectly from the overheadservice bins, the service bins being kept full of sand in a manner also to be sct forth later. To the left of the drag-forming machines and substantially in line therewith is a core-feeding rack on which is kept a supply of cores to be set in the drags after the drags have sand is supplied to the cope service bins as will be described later.` The copes are formed or "rammed up by the cope machines, and then placed on-the cored drags after the latter have been movedto the left from'4 the drag machines and the core-feeding rack. The mold thus closed or completed bythe `positioning of the cope on the drag is moved further to lthe left to the pouring area indicated indotted nnesin Figure 1.

After the molds have been poured or filled with molten metal, they are moved further to the left until they are over a shake-out pit shown at the extreme left in Figure 1. It will be observed that the operations of making the drag molds, setting the cores, making the cope molds and closing them uponl the cored drags, pouring the molds, and shaking them out proceeds along aV substantially straightv line reading from right to left as viewed in the'drawings, the equipment for performing these operations being positioned substantially in a straight line.

In order that the equipment described so far may be operated substantially continuously, means are providedformovingthe molds and mold partsi. e., copes and drags-along the line referred to above, and for then returning the empty cope flasksfrom the shake-outpit to the c'ope machines and for returning` the empty drag asks from vthe shake-out pit to the drag machines. In the plant shown, this transportation of the moldparts and ilasks is accomplished byl means of a novel arrangement of cars and tracks. A mold car advance track or track-way is positioned to extendy in a substantially straight line in front of the cope and drag machines andthe core-feeding rack so as topermit movement of transfer cars from right to leftbas viewed in the drawings. Preferably, in accordance with the invention, the' mold car advance track slopes down from right to left so as'to facilitatemovement of the cars in that direction. 'This arrangement permits the cars to be pushed manually with a minimum effort, and dispenses with the necessity fora positive mechanical car drive, thereby eliminating expensive drivel equipment and increasing the flexibility of the plant.l The mold car advance track provides for the move- `return track or track-way which is parallel to the mold car advance track and which is located on the side of the mold car advance track oppoorder to facilitate manual movement of the carl, this track is arranged to slope down gradually from left tov right; In order to save space, the advance track and the return track are positioned closely together, so closely together, in fact, as to prohibit their being connected by means of carynegotiable curved portions. In order that there may be maintained a continuous flow of cars and mold andy ask partsfrom right to left on the advance track and from left to right on the return track, a car-transfer device is located at the right-hand end of the two tracks. This car -transfer may bey of any desired construction such as a transfer rack working on rollers set on the floor operated by means of a hydraulic cylinder. Since the transfer device does not per se constitute the present invention, it is illustrated only diagrammatically. If desired, the transfer device may bedispensed withand the cars may be transferred from the return track to the advance track by means of the overhead drag makeup'crane. Cars and' flask parts are transferred from the advance track to the return tracks 'at the left-hand ends thereof by means of a shakeout crane.

In order to obtain smooth flow of flask parts to the cope and drag machines, there-are provided a drag make-up crane which bridgesthe two tracks and the drag machineaand a cope make-up crane which bridgesV the two tracks and the cope' machines, both cranes of course operating transversely ofthe tracks as shown in Figure 1*. Molten metal from thecupola or other melting furnace is brought into the plan by means of a mono-rail adapted to register at an interlocking point with thebridge on a pour-off crane positioned to span the pouring area, the arrangement being such that, after the mono-rail carriage and molten metal and ladle have been run from themono-rail onto the bridge of the pour-od crane located in the position shown in Figure 1, the bridge is moved transversely to a position over the pouring area. i

During continuous operation of the plant, a plurality of cars is employed. The drawings show only a suillcient number (nine) of cars to lgreater exibility of operation, since it dispenses with the necessity of slowing down the whole plant when one equipment unit is shut down temporarily. The'nine cars shown are inthe positions listed below, reference being had to the position numbers marked on the drawings.

Car position number Functional position Car carrying empty drag tlask and on flask on top 'pe Car carrying empty drag flask andeope flask on top in position in 'frontal cope machine and under cope make-up mae.

Car carrying empty drag desk. '5

Car carrying rammed-up drag.

Car carrying cored drag.

Car carrying completed closed mold-cope on cored Car carrying mold in pouringposition.

Car carrying-mold in shskeout position.

Car carrying empty drag flask. y

, The method of producing castings and the operation of the plant as described so far is as follows. Beginning at car position I, the car carrying the empty drag flask and the empty cope' flask on top thereof is moved to the right on the vels 'return track until it is in car position II under- -empty drag flasks move continuously in one path I rneath the cope make-up crane. When,l the car has arrived at this point, the cope make-up' crane picks up the empty cope flask and positions it'on one of the cope-'forming machines, vvhere it is lled with sand, rammed, and the pattern drawn.

`The car, carrying the empty drag Aflask only, is

then moved to the righton the return track until it reaches car position III. The drag make-up crane then picks up the empty drag flask and moves it across the. tracksfto oneiof the drag machines, `where it is filled with sand from the overhead service bin and is rammed and the pattern drawn. The completeddrag is then lifted by the drag make-up crane and deposited uponthe car, which, in the meantime, has been moved to position IV on the advance track by means of the car transfer rack. The car, with the completed drag thereon, is then pushed to the left to position V in front of the core-feeding rack, and the core or cores are removed from' the rack and set in the drag. Then the car is moved to position VI ln front of the cope machines, and a completed scope is removed from a copemachine by means of the cope make-upcrane and closed upon the drag. The mold thus completed and the car are then moved to the left to the pouring area under the pour-off crane, and the mold is then poured with molten metal. After the mold has been poured,'the car and mold are moved to the left until they are'over the shake-out pit.

They shake-out crane then removes the cope,which is then shaken out, and the empty cope flask is deposited upon an emptydrag flask previously positioned on a car in carposition IX. This car is then moved to the* right on the return track until it reaches car position I bearing an empty drag flask and an empty cope flask thereon. Reverting now to the car in position VIII, which carries at this timeonly a drag mold and the casing thereinthis mold is shaken out, the casting is set aside, the mold shaken out, and the car, together with the empty dragflask is picked' up by the empty shake-out crane and moved to position IX. It'will be observed that all cars i'n positiony IX will bear Aonlyan empty'drag' flask. Thus, as each mold isshaken out, the empty cope flask is deposited`V upon the empty drag ask previously taken from the preceding car.

" 'Ihe foregoing description of the operation rtraces the movement of a single car and its cope and drag flasks from positlcnI on the return track under the pour-ofi' crane successively to and from the rvvarious Vequipment ,units Considered another way, however, all of the operations are taking place simultaneously; that'is, when one 'car is in position VII, the mold thereon will be poured, while, at the same time, the mold on a car in position VIII will be in the process of being shaken out. Likewise a carin position IV will be receivinga completed drag mold, and a. carin position VI will be receiving a completed cope. Forthe sake of clarity, the j'description has been based upon thepositioning of only one mold on each car. Actually, however, it is possible, and, in fact, desirable ythat the cars be large enough to carry a plurality of molds; for example, four. The sequence of operations of course will be the same as described above with reference to only one mold on each car, since the operations for a plurality of copes on each car maybe performed substantially simultaneously before that car is moved to the next position, the same being true for operations on the drags and the pouring. It will be observed that the drag molds and or 'cope flasksmo've continuously in a lcircuit commolding equipment as pointed out above).

fins, and other extraneous metal.

circuit, andth'at; the copelinolds andvempty prising` only a portion of `'theci'rcuit over which the dragv molds and empty drag 'flasks' move.

msn made possible by the positioning or the cope make-up'crane at a point intermediate the endsoi 'the two tracks and by its being'adapted to move empty cope flasks from the return track directly across'- the advance track to thecopey machines without its being necessary for the cope asks to move all the way tothe right-hand end of the returnvtrack and then back on theadvance track to the cope machines. This results `in faster operation, greater production, and a saving in floor space.A

In accordance with the invention, the equipment for handling and conditioning the sand is positioned in back of the molding equipment (the advance and return tracks being in frontof the The sand vhandling and conditioning equipment is so arranged that the ysand travels mainly in a direction parallel to the line along which the various molding, pouring, and shake-out units are positioned. In the Aform shown,` sand removed Afrom thelilasks at the shake-out position is carried'transversely for `a. short distance by means Aoi! a vibrating screen conveyor which removes i wardlyV and to the right vover a magnetic separator which removes small bits Aof gates, sprues, The sand is discharged 'by the elevating conveyor Noll into a pug' millwhich mixes and tempers-i. e., moistens-.the sand. The sand discharged byV the `pug mill is elevated by elevating conveyor No. 2

and ismoved to the right by the overhead conveyor which extends above a storage bin arranged I "ina plurality of sections. Deflector gates positioned on top lof the overhead conveyor are adapted to be operated so as to effect `discharge of the sand carried by the overhead conveyor into any selected storage' bin. Each storage bin is rprovided with a discharge gate (not shown) in its n' bottom, each of which gates is adapted to dis-- charge'sand onto a conveyor extending longitudinally'under the storage bins. Thisconveyor yis operated in a direction to transport sand to the left as viewed in the drawingsVdischarging the sand upon an elevator conveyor No. 3 which delivers the sand to an aerator. After being conditioned in ther aerator, sand is carried to the `righi; by an overhead conveyor leading-to the cope and drag service bins. 'I'he sand thuscarried over the cope and drag service bins is deflected laterally 'oiI theconveyor by means of the deilector gates located above'the service'bins, the sand 'then-falling onto the service bins. Sand dropped or spilled around or in the vicinity-of 'the copemachines and the drag machines is re-v turned to the storage bins by means of an underground spilled sand conveyor shown in dotted lines which moves the sand to the left and delivers it to elevating conveyor No. l, the latter discharging the sand to elevating conveyor No. 2, from whence the sand is carried back to the storage bin. In order that the sand may be maintained in suitable condition during a. shutposed between elevating conveyor No. I and elevating conveyor No.1 for receiving sand which is on its way to the service bin and for retm'ning it to the storage bins. 'Thefby-Dasa chute may be rendered operative or inoperative at will so as to either by-pass the sand or to permit it to continue on its way to the service bins, whichever is desired. This makes it possible to extract sand fromunderneath one of the storage bins and transfer it to. aselected other storage bin, the path of travel for suchinter-change beiagon the conveyor under the storage bins, the elevating conveyor No. I,the by-pass chute, the elevating conveyor No.1, the elevating conveyor No. 2, and the overhead'conveyor over the vstorage bins. Sand being elevated by the conveyor No. I may be diverted tol the by-pass chute by a suitable defiector device, Vthe construction of which per se does notY constitute the present invention. Deilector devices for diverting sand 'from travelling conveyors are well known, one

form being shown at lll in Figures 1b, 3 and 7 of the patent to Douglas, 1,941,434, of December 26, i933. t

In the manufacture of cast iron pipe by the horizontal method-i. e., with Athe, pipes molded and cast with the axes horizontal-it is usual to employmetal core bars or arbors which are used repeatedly, it being necessary. of course, to'face each core bar with sand to form a core suitable for use in the mold. Ina plant in accordance with Athe present invention, core bars removed from the castings at the shake-out pit are placed on a core bar turntable No. I and are then rolled along a core bar track extending parallel to the mold car advance and returntracks and positioned behind the sand handling and conditioning equipment. A core barcooler and a core ,bar straightening machinev are positioned as shown in the path of movement of core bars along the track. A turntable No. 2 is adapted to receive cooled and. straightened core bars and` to discharge them uponva transverse core bar track from which'the cores are moved to a transfer carriage adapted to shift the core bars to a lcore machine where the core bars are faced. with-sand to form completed cores which are then placed upon the core-feeding rack.

It is apparent from the foregoing that we have provided a plant for and method of manufacturing metal castings b'oth of which, either as disclosed herein or with modifications within the scope of the invention Aas defined in the claims, provide for the'economical continuous production of castings bymeans of equipment umts which occupysmall floor space and which are so disposed asv to provide flexibility of operation and assurance against substantial interruption in production due to localized temporary disabling of one part or unit of the equipment.

Weclaim:

1. In a method for the manufactureof metal castings, continuouslymoving aplurality of drag `iiaslrs and cope flasks from mold-preparing position to mold-pouring position /and mold shakeout position and thence movhg mold flasks back among w mom-mmm; muon. cnn-unna m um each'drag flask after being shaken out is placed `towreceive on top thereof the empty cope flask of the' next following mold. and each cope flask after being shaken'outis placed on the empty drag flask of the immediately preceding mold.

2. In a method for the manufacture of` metal castings, continuously moving a plurality of drag flasks and a plurality of cop'e flasks less in number than the number oi'A dragnasks from moldpreparing position 'to mold-pouring position and mold shake out position and thence moving-mold ilasksback to mold-forming position, characterized in that each drag flask after beingshaken out is placed to receive on top thereof cope flask of the next`following mold, and each cope iia'sk after being shaken out is placed on the empty drag flask of the immediately preceding mold.

3. In a plant for the manufacture of metal castings, the combination of drag-molding means. core-supplying means, cope-molding means, pouring means, and shake-out means serially. ldisposed substantially in line in the order specified; mold-advance transporting means extending sulltantially in a straight line in `front of said Lmolding means; flask-return transporting means extending substantially parallel to said mold-advance transporting means and on the side thereof opposite said molding means; sand handling means located in back of said molding `means for receiving sand at the shake-out means Vand conveying it to the molding means mainly in a direction parallel to the line of extent ot said molding, core-supplying, pouring, and shake-out ,means,V said` sand handling means `including means for conditioning' the sand `en route to the molding means; and conveying means for transporting core bars from the shake-out means to a point adjacent said corefsupplying means, said conveying means extending substantially parallel tofthe mold-advance transporting means and being located in back of said molding means.

Y 4. Sand handling and conditioning equipment comprising mixing and tempering means: a storage bin; a service bin; meansoperable ina predetermined path for conveying sand to the mixing and tempering means; thence to the storage bin; and thence to the service bin;` and by-pass means for receiving sand on its way from said storage bin. and conveying it back to th storage bln. y 4

5. Sand handling and conditioning equipment comprising mixing and tempering means; a storage bin; a service bin; means operable in a predetermined path for conveying sand to the mixing and tempering means; thence to the storage bin; and thence to the service bin, said means `including a conveyor for delivering to said storage bin and a conveyor for kvdelivering from said storage bin to said service bin: and by-pass means extending between said two conveyors and adapted `to receive sand from the second-named conveyor yand to deliver the sand to said firstnamed conveyor for return to the storage bin.`

` HENRY G. FLOYD.

WILLIAM LEE ROUECHE. 

